Another Chance
by ForbiddenShadowJutsu
Summary: Konoha. A once prideful village, now doused in flames and covered in debris. A man stood in these ruins, the woman he loved lying dead at his feet. A hooded figure landed next to him. "What if I told you I could help you stop this from happening?"
1. Chapter 1

Konoha. A once prideful village, now doused in flames and debris. The buildings that used to stand in these lands now lay ruined, the entire village destroyed. There were no houses left, no transport and no signs of life in this once beautiful place. On the Hokage Faces, a few hundred metres away from the destroyed village, laid a woman. She wore a white sleeved buttoned shirt, with a deep V positioned where her collarbone is. She had small, white shorts on with a black belt keeping them in place. Over her outfit she had a black sleeveless coat on, which was split down the middle, showing the front of her shirt. The back was split into two below her waist, reaching up to her knees. On her back laid the Uchiha symbol, with a black sash and tool pocket below it. A pair of red glasses adorned her face, clashing with her black hair an onyx eyes. Her outfit was ruined, her shorts ripped and coat tattered, but what stood out the most was the slowly growing red patch in her stomach. Beside her laid a white cloak, with red flames marking the edges. There were characters written on the coat, all in red coloring, saying '9th Hokage'.

Beside her, kneeling down next to her head was a man. He wore a white undershirt and a black jacket with red markings over it. He has a black belt, short black pants and a cloak draped over his shoulder. A sword was strapped to the back of his waist, making sure that it didn't collide with the woman in front of him. His clear, blue eyes are filled with tears, a scar adorning his right eye. His long, blond hair drapes over his face, covering a headband with a slashed leaf on it.

"Sarada..." The man said, his voice threatening to crack anytime. The woman in his arms looked at him and smiled.

"Boruto... looks like this is it, huh?" Sarada addressed Boruto, her voice filled with sadness.

"N-no Sarada! Don't say that!" Boruto shouted, the first tear leaving his eyes. "I need you here with me! W-who else am i meant to talk to when i'm bored! Who else is going to be my partner in battle, Sarada! You can't just leave me like this! You...you can't..." Tears are streaming down the man's face, his whole body shaking as his sobs grew louder. He felt a hand on his cheek, and looked down to see Sarada still smiling, her eyes filled with nothing but love for the man with her.

"Boruto," Sarada whispered, her voice slowly leaving her, "I-i know i have no regrets in this life. I became a great kunoichi, I saved world at least twice, and I achieved my dream of being Hokage. I lived a great life Boruto." Her face is now streaming with tears, her smile still on her face. "I met lots of new friends, made lots of enemies, and did so much with my life. I am happy, Boruto. So... you should be too." Boruto's eyes widen, his mind comprehending what was just said to him. After a few seconds, his face breaks into a watery smile, tears streaming down his face at an even faster rate.

"I-i am happy, Sarada. It's just... I would be even happier if you were here with me..." Boruto said, his eyes locked onto hers. The two stare at each other, knowing that it would be that last time they shared a moment like this. Sarada raises her hand and places it on his cheek, a wide smile on her face.

"And I will be with you, even if I die." She whispered, her hands trembling as they fall. Before they could hit the ground, they were caught by Boruto's hand, the two unconsciously wrapping around each other. "But, there was something I was never able to do in my life..." Sarada looks away, her face adorning a slight blush. A hand finds its way onto her chin, turning her head so that it was looking back at Boruto. They make eye contact, his hand squeezing hers tightly. Suddenly, Boruto leans in and kisses Sarada, pouring all his emotions into it. Sarada returned it gratefully, the two interlocked in a passionate kiss. After a moment, they separated, looking into each others eyes once more.

"I love you, Sarada..." Boruto says, leaning his forehead onto hers. She smiles, tears streaming down her face. Slowly, her eyes start to flutter, and Boruto's grip on her hand tightens.

"I-i love you too... _Boruto..."_ Sarada whispered, her final breath leaving her as she finally closes her eyes. Boruto quickly embraces her, his head buried in her shoulders as he rocks her back and forth. He cried for half an hour, his anguish too great to ignore. Suddenly, he stood up, his eyes blank and empty. He stared at the ruined village, his mouth in a firm line. Memories came rushing back to him. Memories of his childhood, schooling and life in Konoha. The memories he made as a teammate and as a rouge shinobi. A single tear threatens to fall from his eyes, soon being wiped off by the man.

Just as he was about to leave, he was interrupted by a hooded man landing next to him. Boruto stares at the man, his hand slowly making his way to his sword.

"What if i told you I could help you stop this from happening?" Bortuo froze. Quickly, he pulled out his sword and leveled it at the man, his eyes darkening a shade.

"Look, I don't know who you are, but if you want to joke around like that, especially at a time like this, then you're running to your own death." Boruto said, a snarl threatening to escape from his lips. The man raises his arms, making sure that he seemed harmless to the shinobi.

"Settle down, Boruto Uzumaki. I am no threat." The man said, his voice firm. Boruto slowly lowered his sword but didn't sheath it; he wasn't sure if this man was telling the truth. "I'll ask again, what if I told you I could help you stop this from happening?" Boruto stared at the man. He wasn't sure what he was trying to do, but he'll play along until he's figured out what he wanted.

"I would call you crazy and run off." Boruto answered, his gaze falling back to the village.

"Then why are you still here?" The man asked, his voice tinged with amusement. Boruto kept quiet, unable to answer.

' _Why am I still here?'_ Boruto thought, his mind filled with questions, but no answers. ' _Is it because I don't know where to go? Or maybe I don't know what to do now? Or maybe...'_

"Because, even if you're talking crazy, if there's a small chance that I could stop this..." Boruto trailed off, his silence finishing his sentence for him.

"I'm not talking crazy, Boruto. Here, catch." Boruto looked towards the figure just in time to catch a scroll, it's pages shining brightly.

"I'm sorry."

The hooded figure quickly made a hand sign, his hood falling off slightly. Looking into his hood, he could see the makings of a smile, one that seemed apologetic. Before Boruto could react, he felt the scroll open and drop from his hand. A bright flash blinded him, rendering him useless.

" _FORBIDDEN SHADOW TECHNIQUE: TIME REWIND!"_

Boruto felt himself being pulled into something, and soon realized that he was being pull towards a portal that appeared above the scroll. During this process, a sequence of seals popped into his mind, each one ingraining itself into his brain. With these seals came a thought, one that definitely wasn't his.

" _I'm sending you back, Boruto. I hope you can use this curse well..."_ A voice said, the mere sadness in his voice striking a chord in Boruto. Before he could respond, he felt himself losing consciousness. Panicking, he thrashed about, his body moving sluggishly. Realizing that resistance was futile, he let himself go, closing his eyes and thinking one last thought.

" _Sarada..."_

* * *

Boruto jolted upright on his bed, his eyes wide and frantic. Looking around, his mouth slowly opened at what he saw. Brown walls, a multitude of posters, wooden floors and a white computer? There was no doubt, Boruto was home. His childhood home.

" _W-wow... I really was sent back...'_ Boruto thought, thinking of why the masked man would've sent him back. And a curse?

' _What did mean by curse...'_

Suddenly, a thought hit him. Eyes widening, he hopped of his bed and ran out of his room, nearly ripping the door of it's hinges. Running towards the bathroom, he was relived to see that it was empty. Making his way inside, he ran towards the mirror and was shocked at what he say. No longer was there a man, a war shinobi that experienced many battles, defeats and deaths. No longer was there a man with a scar on his right eye, a cloak on his shoulders and a sword at his waist. Instead, there was a boy. A boy with shining blond hair, clear blue eyes and a very wide smile. A genin.

"Boruto! Come down and eat breakfast! Your father is here too!" Boruto nearly broke down at the voice of his own mother. She was killed near the start of the invasion, assassinated in front of him. Running down the stairs, a single tear dropped from his eye and hit the floor. Sliding the door to the kitchen open, Boruto's eyes widen when he saw his entire family, alive and well. Before anyone could say anything, Boruto ran to his father, pouncing on him and wrapping his arms around him in a massive hug. Naurto, who was reading the newspaper beforehand, looked down at his son. He noticed that his body was shaking slightly, and that he could feel wet patches forming on his shirt.

"Boruto, what's wrong?" Naruto asked, his eyes filled with worry. Suddenly, Boruto's let out a massive sob, the sound echoing throughout the house. Smiling warmly, Naruto wraps an arm around his son and pulls him in tightly, rubbing his shoulder when he started shaking even more. Hinata, who was busy setting up the table, saw the interaction and soon joined the hug, her arms wrapping around Naruto and Boruto. Their son hugged Naruto even tighter, the wetness becoming more prominent. Himawari, Boruto's younger sister, squealed and rushed into the hug, squeezing in between her parents and hugging Boruto directly.

At this very moment, Boruto realized that what this man gave him was a blessing, not a curse. His family was alive, the village was still intact, his friends still here and most importantly...

' _Sarada is still alive...'_ Boruto smiled into his fathers chest, the mere thought of saving the girl he loved filling his heart with joy. Now, Boruto knew that this blessing must have a price, but for now he wouldn't think about it. For a war shinobi has been reunited with the people he was fighting for, and now...

He would never let them die again, because after all;

 _'I've been given another chance... haven't I?'_


	2. Chapter 2

Boruto grinned as he walked into the classroom, closing his eyes in mirth. After the little moment the family shared, Naruto felt that it was his fault that his son was crying, so he had promised to try and spend much time as possible with Boruto as possible. Boruto was a little disappointed, thinking that it might have been another one of his empty promises, but soon cheered up, grateful that he was able to interact with his father again.

Opening his eyes, Boruto expected to see an room, bustling with activity, filled with his classmates and friends. Instead, he was greeted with an empty classroom, clean and ready for use. Confused, Boruto looked up at the clock and sweat-dropped as he saw the time.

' _No wonder Dad was eating with us, it's only 7:30. School starts at 9!'_ Boruto thought. Sighing, he made his was to the seat closest to him, plopping down onto the seat. Looking down, he noticed that it was the table he used to sit at, back when he was a 'real' genin. ' _Guess old habit's die hard, huh?'_

Resting his head on the table, it didn't take long for Boruto to fall asleep, the adrenaline that came with travelling back in time and meeting your dead family running out.

* * *

"-Ruto. Wake up." Boruto groaned, waking up after a satisfying nap. Lifting his head, he noticed that there were other students in the room, each one having their own conversations. Looking to his right, he saw one of the most valuable friends he had during the battle, the person that helped kill the ringleader of the invasion and the person that sacrificed his life to save his.

"S-Shikadi?" Boruto asked, barely hiding the grin the threatened to show on his face. Shikadai looked at him, his eyes tired, but amused.

"Aren't I meant to be the one falling asleep in class, Boruto?" He said, a smirk forming on his face. Boruto grinned, unable to hide the joy he felt talking to his friend once again.

"Last time you fell asleep, Aburame-Sensei slipped a bug into your ear." Boruto replied, snickering as Shikadai shivered from the memory. It was the only time Shikadai had looked energized, running around the entire classroom screaming that 'his brain was being taken over by parasites'. Needless to say, it was the only time the entire class had laughed at anything other than Boruto embarrassing himself. Speaking of which, Boruto face-desked as he realized something.

' _I'm gonna have to act like an idiot again, aren't I?'_ Groaning, Boruto banged his head onto his desk, turning a few heads.

"B-Boruto?" Shikadai stammered, unable to comprehend why Boruto was embarrassing himself again. Leaning towards his friend, he heard him mutter things like 'idiot' and 'not again'.

"Not again? What do you mean?" Boruto jerked up in surprise, his head hitting Shikadai's. Grabbing the back of his head, he glared at his friend.

"What I mean is that I'll have to act like a complete idiot to t-" Boruto cut himself off, his eyes widening as he remembered that his friend didn't know the full story? What was he gonna say to him?

"To?" Shikadai teased, his mouth forming into a smirk. He knew his friend was hiding something, seeing that he was incredibly excited to see someone he just met yesterday AND the fact that he had a problem with acting like an idiot. Now, Shikadai wasn't an idiot. As the son of the Hokage's advisor, Shikamaru Nara, he was bound to have some sort of intelligence on him. So, unfortunately for Bortuo, Shikadai thought he knew why Boruto acted like he did. And all he needed was confirmation.

"W-well um..." Shikadai looked on in, finding his friend's embarrassment very amusing. He was surprised when Boruto looked at him, his face set in determination.

"I've been acting like an idiot so that I could get attention from a certain someone." He said, not surprised when Shikadai nodded. It seemed that he understood why he would've acted this way, especially since his dad was the Hokage.

"Huh." Shikadai sat next to him, laying his head on the desk. "Feel free to join me. After all, it's nice knowing that you're friend isn't really an idiot. Calls for a celebration." Boruto smirked before plopping his head next to Shikadai's, resting his head on his arms.

"Will do, friend. Will do..." Soon, the two fell asleep, preparing themselves for the big day that was bound to follow when they woke up.

* * *

Sarada hummed as she made her way towards the academy. Her dad had just come home the other day, and he had promised to teach her a new jutsu sometime in the afternoon. As soon as she heard those words come on of his mouth, she uncharacteristically squealed and hugged her father, excited for the afternoon. Reaching her classroom, she expected to hear a certain someone's loud voice. Instead, she was greeted with silence. Unnerved, she opened the door wide enough to make a gap and slowly moved her head towards it, her heart beating wildly. She could see the walls of the classroom, and nearly every student looking at something in surprise. Twisting her head, she looked towards what everyone else was looking at and saw-

"Sarada!" Out of nowhere, a certain Akimichi's head popped up in her vision, her eyes wide and face in shock. Screaming, she fell back onto her butt, the wooden floor sending spikes of pain up her back.

"Chocho?" Sarada asked, still shaken from the sudden surprise. Chocho looked on, surprised that Sarada actually fell over.

"Why is everyone so quiet?" Chocho seemed to brighten up at this, her eyes glowing in thinly veiled excitement.

"Come, come. Something's happened, and your not gonna believe it!" Chocho quickly grabbed Sarada's wrist, dragging her back into the classroom. Surprised, Sarada was unable to recover when she was thrown into the room, hitting a desk with her glasses falling of in the process. Picking herself up, she went to pick up her glasses before she heard a collective gasp. Looking up, she saw a blob of blond and blue, all mixed up because of her sight impairment. She leaned closer to the blob, her eyes squinting as she tried to discern what it was. Seeing the blob lean forward, she copied it's actions, unable to see the amused smirk it had on it's face. Suddenly, she felt her glasses in her hands. Thanking the person, she turned her head and put her glasses on, fixing it upon her nose before turning back to the blob, determined to see what it was. Looking once again, she froze when she noticed that it was Boruto, his face settled in an smirk. But that wasn't the reason she froze. It was the fact that they were mere centimeters apart, their eyes locked together. Blushing, she found herself unable to turn away, trapped in his captivating blue eyes. Soon, she started seeing his eyes in a different light, her brain unconsciously analyzing them.

She noticed that they were as blue as the sky, light reflecting off them in a way that made them sparkle. They held mischief in them, but she also saw some sort of fondness and admiration in them that shook her to the core, unable to shake off the thought that it was directed towards her. She saw his eyes widen slightly, the fondness disappearing. Instead, it was replaced with goofiness and idiocy, something that she was used to seeing. But, deep in his eyes, she nearly gasped as she saw a look of despair, one that screamed loss. Looking deeper, she saw a longing for something. Someone. Her.

"Sarada!" She jumped as he shouted her name, the randomness of it sending her to the ground once again. Glaring at him, she nearly grinned as he laughed, his normal behavior returning.

' _Good,'_ Sarada thought, still glaring at the boy as she sat down, her embarrassment still at an all time high. ' _It's less awkward with him being like he is.'_ After a while, she stopped glaring at him and instead looked over to Chocho, who had sat next to her while she was distracted.

"What was the thing that I wouldn't be able to believe?" Sarada asked, still confused as to what she was talking about. Taking a break from her chip bag, Chocho looked over to her, her eyes holding some sort of mystical wonder.

"Boruto was asleep." Sarada's eyes widened. Boruto? Asleep? Now, Sarada knew that sleep was an important part of a human's life, but it was Boruto. Sleeping. In the morning. That wasn't something you'd see everyday. Before she could comment, however, the teacher walked in the class, a figure following him. Standing up, Sarada looked at the new kid and wondered why he was here. Looking around, she saw that everyone else was doing the same, although when she looked at Boruto, she was surprised at the look of confusion on his face. Like, he was a new student. That didn't call for the look of confusion on his face. It's not like he secretly had some sort of strange power that lets people travel back in time.

"Hello kids. Today we have a new student with us. Please welcome Kurayami Hikari."

The kid, Hikari, wore a light purple shirt that was splattered with black. He wore baggy, black jeans and classic shinobi sandals. Finally, he wore a plain brown jumper, one that seemed like it was high quality. She saw him turn towards everyone, his eyes lingering on her for a second longer than everyone else. As his sight made his way across the room, she narrowed her eyes when he stopped at Boruto, seemingly making eye contact with him. Then, he smiled.

"Hi everyone. I hope we can all be friends!" He said, his voice happy and filled with joy. Although, his smile told a different story.

Because when he smiled at Boruto, his smile was filled with something akin to apology, like he was apologizing for cursing him. And that threw Sarada for a loop.


	3. Chapter 3

The streets of Konoha were bustling with activity. Stores were opened, people were socializing and the entire village was carefree. Except for Boruto Uzumaki, that is.

 _"How exactly can I get Sarada to fall in love with me earlier?"_ He thought, his hands in his pockets as he wandered aimlessly around the village, trying to answer the question that has plagued his mind as soon as he left the school grounds. " _I mean, last time we only got together when she died, but I have no idea how she even fell for me in the first place. It's not like I could just rock up and start flirting with her... could I?"_

So enamored with his thinking, Boruto didn't notice that Shikadai had rocked up next to him, looking and him and patiently waiting for his attention. After a while of waiting, Shikadai decided to just tap him on the shoulder, too lazy to wait even more.

"Huh?" Boruto turned towards Shikadai, his face scrunched up in confusion. "Shikadai! When did you get here? Never mind, come! I need to talk to you about something." Surprised, Shikadai was unable to react when Boruto grabbed his wrist, dragging him towards the train. Jumping from rooftop to rooftop, the pair soon reached the top of the train. Settling down, Shikadai looked at Boruto, his eyes shining with amusement and a hint of concern.

"Boruto? What'd you need?" Shikadai asked, looking at the clouds. Waiting for an answer, he was surprised when his friend didn't respond. Looking towards Boruto, his eyes widened when he saw his nervous expression, a blush adorning his face. _"W-What? Boruto is never nervous, nor does he ever blush! What could be bothering him so much... or rather... who?"_ Shikadai smirked as he had a thought and soon, a plan formulated in his mind.

"Oh well, guess I'll never know." Shikadai barely hid a grin at his friend's face, the embarrassment shining brightly through his face. A moment of silence passed between the two, and as soon as Boruto was about to speak, Shikadai decided to interrupt. "So, Boruto. How's your love life?" Boruto froze, his eyes widening with surprise. "You know, I think that class rep girl is pretty. Sumire, i think her name is." He smiled at Boruto's hesitant nod, his face still frozen in shock. "How about you?" Shikadai asked, his eyes shining with mischief. Boruto muttered a reply, barely audible through the wind, but he heard it nonetheless.

"S-Sarada..." Shikadai grinned, his plan going as it should be. _"Now, to finish him off."_

"Ohh, Sarada?" He nearly broke at the surprised face Boruto had. Clearly, he hadn't expected him to hear him. "Well, I agree." He nearly broke again when Boruto snapped out of his embarrassed state, now filled with protectiveness. "Ya know, I'm pretty sure Inojin has a crush on her," Boruto twitched, his face slowly starting to scrunch in anger. "Actually, I think our entire class has a crush on her. You chose right, Boruto. I think everyon-"

"Well everyone can go stuff themselves!" Boruto exploded, unable to hold in his anger anymore. Shikadai smirked, satisfied that his plan had worked. "She is mine, and mine only! I will fight every single person in this village just for a chance with her! Got that?!" Boruto panted as he recovered, his outburst expending all the confusion that he felt earlier. Soon, the sound of laughter filled the air. Looking up, Boruto saw that Shikadai was laughing his head off, his body shaking as he rolled on the floor. Sighing, Boruto slumped down next to Shikadai, his face set in reluctant resignation. "Well played Shika."He muttered, waiting for his friend to recover. It didn't take long. Soon, Shikadai was sitting down, wiping the last of his tears away from his face.

"Well, at least we know what was bothering you." Shikadai said, looking up at the clouds once more. "So, what exactly is your problem?" He questioned, setting his gaze on his friend once more. Seeing his friend look down once more, Shikadai was about to take the question back until Boruto answered.

"Well, i'm guessing you already know that I have a small, tiny crush on Sarada..." He whispered, gazing into the clouds. Shikadai joined him, patiently waiting for his friend to elaborate. "It's just... I feel like I don't know how to act around her. Like, should I act like an idiot? A love-struck idiot? A lazy idiot? A good, teacher's pet idiot? A-" Before Boruto could continue ranting, Shikadai had slapped him in the face. Turning to his friend, Boruto was about to shout at him before he saw the small amount of concern in his face.

"Boruto..." Shikadai started, turning towards the clouds once again. "Why are you worrying about how you need to act around her? If she doesn't like you for who you are, then the best you can do is just move on and get over he-"

"I won't be able to." Boruto cut in, his face set in a grim mask of desperation. Before Shikadai could answer, Boruto quickly elaborated, not wanting to lose the sudden foothold he had in their conversation. "I...I won't be able to get over her."

"Why?" Shikadai asked, his face openly displaying the concern he felt.

"Because... I don't just like her." Boruto stared into the sky, memories of him and Sarada rushing through his mind. The memory of them getting into a team together. The memory of them on their first mission. The memory of him proclaiming that he would protect Sarada. The memory of them snuggling in a sleeping bag when Sarada had forgotten hers. The memory of the first time Boruto had nearly died to save her life, and the mock date that she had brought him through. The memory of the first time Sarada had taken a hit for him, and the slaughter that had occurred afterwards. The memory of their first kiss. And once again, Boruto had realized something that he was too late to notice last time.

"I love her." Shikadai's eyes widened at the mere emotion that he had said those words with. He didn't know that his feelings towards the Uchiha were this intense, merely thinking that it was just a small school crush. He nearly fainted a tear fell down his face, unable to recognize why exactly his best friend had felt like that. Lost, all Shikadai could do was watch as Boruto wiped the tear off his face, although the sadness in his eyes were still present.

"I-I know you don't understand, Shikadai. How I could develop these feelings at such a young age." Shikadai nodded slightly, his brain still rewiring from the shock of his friend confessing his love for a person he had only known for 12 years. "But you'll understand later, Shikadai. I'll make sure you'll be the first to understand who I really am." Feeling something being shoved into his hands, Shikadai looked down to see that he had been given a kunai. This kunai was normal, except for the seal writing that had covered the blade. Looking up, he was shocked to see that his friend was gone. He didn't even hear him leave! Looking back to the kunai, he slipped it into his kunai pouch and vowed to never use it unless he was told to do so by Boruto. After all, a kuani with seals on it didn't seem like something he wanted to use without knowing what it did.

* * *

Boruto smiled to himself as he sat on his bed, thinking about the events of the day.

 _"Good thing I was able to remember the Flying Raijin jutsu I found in Dad's office in my previous life. Makes life so much easier."_ Boruto thought as he twirled a kunai on his finger, a near carbon copy of the one he had given to Shikadai. Putting it back on the two strings that he placed down to keep it suspended, he closed his eyes and focused, feeling for the location of another one of his kunai. Finding it, he wills himself to to location, feeling the pull of the jutsu. Soon, he felt a millisecond of emptiness, feeling nothing but the pull of his technique. A millisecond later, he found himself in the Academy fighting arena. Turning around, he looked at the seal he had planted onto the wall during the day. It was a line of characters,surrounding a diamond. The writing roughly translated to 'Diamond God'. Looking at the diamond, memories of a technique he had learned well too late rushed into his mind. Before he could reminisce further, a shout and an explosion echoed throughout the room. Fearing the worst, he ran to the railing, pulling out a kunai in the process. Jumping over, he hurled his kunai at the arena and dropped another at the ground below him. Pulling out another kunai, he quickly flashed to the kunai he hurled, ending up behind the target. Grabbing their shoulder, he twisted them around. Soon, he switched into his 'battle mode', named by Sarada.

 _"Female. Around my height. Pin to wall. Take out arms. Eliminate"_ Boruto thought. Pressing his forearm to her chest, he shoved her into a wall, hovering a kunai above her stomach and kicking up a cloud of dust. Looking at his target, he saw a flash of red glasses and raven hair. Looking even closer, he noticed that her eyes where red, with a tomoe on each eye.

 _"Sharingan... Sarada?"_ Paling, he was about to speak when he felt a demonic aura surround him. Thinking quickly, he flashed back to the kunai he had dropped earlier, eyes widening when he saw the ground he was standing on explode, Sarada's fist on the ground. Throwing a kunai to the wall next to him, he flashed towards the kunai he had first thrown, picking it up in time to block a bunch of shuriken that was thrown at him. Looking up, he glared at his crush.

"What was that for, Sarada?" He demanded, jumping up to dodge another barrage of kunai. Crossing his arms, he barely blocked a punch that came for him. He flashed towards the kunai he had thrown to the wall, stopping his descent to the ground.

"Well," Sarada started, twirling a kunai on her finger. On closer inspection, he noticed that it was the kunai he had dropped when he first jumped into the arena. "I was just practicing until I was assaulted by a certain blond." Boruto had the decency to blush, embarrassed at his sudden worry of an attack being held at the Academy. "So, since I was interrupted, I thought it would be a good idea to spar with the person that attacked me. Right?" Before Boruto could answer, he was rushed by his crush. Jumping away, he cursed at his delayed reactions.

 _"I never realized how slow I was back then... nor did I realize how rocky our relationship was back then."_ Pulling out a kunai, he threw it at Sarada. Deflecting it, Sarada threw her kunai.

"You know," Boruto started, dodging the kunai with ease. "If you really wanted to fight," Flashing behind her, he kicked her back, sending her a couple of meters away. "You could have just asked." Recovering, Sarada and Boruto stared each other down, quietly analyzing each other. Suddenly, Boruto ran towards Sarada, a kunai in hand. Sarada pulled her fist back, ready to punch Boruto to oblivion. As the two met, they realized that this battle would be very important, deciding whether or not they would be friends...

Or rivals.


End file.
